Cap assembly with sectional storage chamber for secondary material

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a cap assembly mounted on a discharging portion of a container for containing an ingredient different from that in accommodated in a container, which comprise a cap body a cap body formed by an upper cap part and a lower cap part which may be divided along a cut-off line; a housing with a storage chamber for a secondary ingredient formed by the lower portion of the upper cap part; a sealing assembly provided below the lower cap part, comprising a sealing element and a space through which the secondary ingredient may be discharged in use; and a mouth formed above the lower cap part. The cap assembly of the present invention has advantageous effects of convenience in use and of preventing alteration thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cap assembly for closing a container and more particularly to a cap assembly having a storage chamber for containing a secondary material (ingredient) for example a concentrated liquid or a granule different from a material (ingredient) for example water or a beverage accommodated in a container.

Such a cap assembly is useful in the various industrial fields such as medical, phar- maceutical, cosmetic and etc.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, when a beverage that requires mixing up a liquid in a container with a granule or a concentrate liquid as additives or secondary ingredients such as carbon dioxide, vitamin powder, etc, it is often necessary that the container has a separate chamber for storage the secondary ingredients.

There are many suggestions more than 5,000 including U.S. Pat. No. 937,049 (filed on Oct. 19, 1909) about the structure for mixing two or more ingredients in a container.

However, the containers disclosed in the above patents have not commercially succeeded because of the problems such as inefficiency in a manufacture process, inconvenience in use, etc.

There are further needs for more easily handling of a cap assembly and a container for mixing one or more ingredients in an ingredient contained in a container without problems of changing a structure or an injury of an elbow caused by acting an excessive force to open a discharging device for use.

Recently, PCT/EP2002/004523 filed on Jan. 17, 2002 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-00185428 filed on Jun. 19, 2001 suggested other structure, but a commercial success has not been obtained.

Particularly, the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application mentioned above has a problem that a piece cut out from a discharging port falls into a container and a child may swallow it. To overcome this problem, a discharging device which is not separated from a novel neck of a container has been developed, but such a discharging device could not be used to a conventional neck of a container.

A cap having an assembly-typed housing for storage therein has been known, the assembly-typed housing is limited to the functions as a storage chamber or simply an sealing means thereof.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a cap assembly having an improved convenience.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap assembly which is adapted to open the storage chamber and container at the same time so that a secondary ingredient may be discharged and mixed into a primary ingredient in a container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap assembly having an integral sealing assembly for obtaining improved sealing property.

Technical Solution

In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, according to the present invention, a cap assembly mounted on a discharging portion of a container for containing a secondary ingredient different from a primary ingredient in accommodated in a container, comprises a cap body formed by an upper cap part and a lower cap part which are adapted to be divided along a cut-off line; a housing with a storage chamber for a secondary ingredient formed by the lower portion of the upper cap part; a separate sealing assembly provided below the lower cap part, comprising a sealing element and a space through which the secondary ingredient may be discharged in use; and a mouth formed above the lower cap part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of cap assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cap assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the resent invention in detail. In the following description of the present invention, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings, and the duplicate explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 shows a cap assembly 1 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which may be mounted to a container for example a beverage container in such a way of a conventional thread engagement, a snap-fit engagement or adhering type.

The cap assembly 1 in FIG. 1 comprises a cap body 10 and a sealing assembly 20.

The cap body 10 comprises an upper cap part 11 and a lower cap part 12 which are connected by a cut-off line 13, the lower portion of the upper cap part 11 comprises a housing 14 in which a chamber 15 for storage of a secondary ingredient is formed.

The sealing assembly 20 is provided at the lower opening of the housing 14 having the storage chamber 15 for sealing thereof. The sealing assembly 20 comprises a sealing element 21 for blocking the lower opening of the housing 14 and an annular hoop 22 for connecting the sealing assembly 20 to a connecting portion 16 of the lower cap part 12.

At least one opening 23 is formed between the annular hoop 22 and the sealing hoop 21.

A mouth 24 is formed above the annular hoop 22 and has a thread 25 for engaging with a thread 17 formed at the inner wall of the upper cap part 11 of the cap body 10.

An elongated protrusion 26 is upwardly formed at the sealing element 21.

The elongated protrusion 26 may stir the secondary ingredient in the chamber 15, when a lower end opening of the housing is opened.

When the upper cap part 11 is turned in use, the upper cap part 11 is disconnected along the cut-off line 13 from the lower cap part and is upwardly moved.

At this time, the lower portion of the housing 14 is disconnected from the sealing element 21 and then the secondary ingredient in the chamber 15 may be discharged into the container.

The upper cap part 11 and the lower cap part 12 are easily disconnected by a cut-off line 13 which is a portion that may be easily torn and by the thread engagement 17 and 25. However, other conventional disconnecting structure may be used.

Preferably, a snap-on-screw-off type structure is used.

The sealing assembly 20 may be safely retained by the lower cap part 12.

The lower cap part 12 may be mounted on the container in such a manner of a snap fit engagement or a adhering to a paper pack or a pouch.

The separate sealing element 21 may be assembled to the sealing assembly.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the upper cap part 21 and the lower cap part 212 are separately formed and the mouth 218 is provided above the lower cap part 212.

The housing 214 with the storage chamber 215 is formed by the lower portion of the upper cap part 211.

When the upper cap part 212 is turned in use, the secondary ingredient in the storage chamber 215 may be discharged into the container through the space formed by departing of the sealing element 21 of the sealing assembly 20 from the housing 214 and is mixed with the primary ingredient in the container.

In this embodiment, the elongated protrusion 26 may be provided at the sealing element 21 and the separate sealing element 21 may be assembled.

Furthermore, the sealing element 21 may be separated into the container.

The lower cap parts 12 and 212 may be fixedly attached to the container.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As apparent from the above description, the cap assembly of the present invention may be adapted to accommodate a concentrate liquid or a granule to be mixed which a water, a beverage or other liquid in the container with an easy and improved mixing two different materials, which may be advantageous in the various industrial fields such as medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and etc.

While the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the present invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A cap assembly mounted on a discharging portion of a container for containing a secondary ingredient different from a primary ingredient in accommodated in a container, comprising: a cap body formed by an upper cap part and a lower cap part which are adapted to be divided along a cut-off line; a housing with a storage chamber for a secondary ingredient formed by the lower portion of the upper cap part; a sealing assembly provided below the lower cap part, comprising a sealing element and a space through which the secondary ingredient may be discharged in use; and a mouth formed above the lower cap part.
 2. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sealing assembly assembled to the cap body is maintained by an annular hoop provided at the lower cap part.
 3. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein an elongated protrusion is upwardly formed at the sealing element.
 4. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said mouth is adapted to tightly engage with the inner wall of the upper cap part of the cap body.
 5. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein the mouth and the inner wall of the upper cap part are threaded each other.
 6. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the thread engagement is a snap-on-screw-off type.
 7. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing element is assembled to the sealing assembly.
 8. A cap assembly mounted on a discharging portion of a container for containing a secondary ingredient different from a primary ingredient in accommodated in a container, comprising: a cap body including an upper cap part and a lower cap part; wherein said upper cap part having a housing is mounted above a mouth provided at the lower cap part, and said lower cap part includes a sealing element for sealing a storage chamber in the housing.
 9. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein the sealing element is assembled to the sealing assembly.
 10. A cap assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein an elongated protrusion is upwardly formed at the sealing element. 